Matt Huie of Bee County awarded two community organizations a total of $5,000 recently through the Monsanto Fund. Monsanto host representative Daniel Gonzalez was on hand as Huie’s wife, Shambryn, presented the checks to the Boots & Saddles 4-H Club (photo above) and the Beeville Independent School District (photo below).

Contributed photo.Matt Huie of Bee County awarded two community organizations a total of $5,000 this past Friday through the Monsanto Fund. Monsanto Host Representative Daniel Gonzalez was on hand as Huie's wife, Shambryn, presented the checks to the Beeville Independent School District and the Boots & Saddles 4-H Club.

BEEVILLE — Beeville Independent School District and the Boots & Saddles 4-H Club will now be able to better serve community youth thanks to the support of local farmer Matt Huie and America’s Farmers Grow Communities.

Sponsored by the Monsanto Fund, the philanthropic arm of Monsanto Company, Grow Communities provides farmers in eligible counties the chance to win a $2,500 donation for a local nonprofit organization of their choice. To further support counties declared natural disaster areas by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) due to drought this year, winning farmers in these counties are able to direct double donations, a total of $5,000.

Bee County was declared a disaster area by the USDA, giving Huie the opportunity to choose two organizations to receive $2,500 donations. Huie selected Beeville ISD and Boots & Saddles 4-H Club. Beeville ISD will use the donation to replace student equipment that was destroyed by vandals at Moreno Middle School.

The Boots & Saddles 4-H Club will use the $2,500 to cover membership costs for underprivileged youth.

“I am so thrilled that the Monsanto Fund is doing this,” Huie said. “A double donation for our county is really meaningful right now, and the fact that Monsanto Fund is doing the same thing for drought counties across the country is incredible.”

This year, the Monsanto Fund will invest nearly $6 million in rural America through Grow Communities, which includes double donations for counties impacted by the historic drought.

In Texas, $395,000 is being given across 79 counties.

America’s Farmers Grow Communities is sponsored by the Monsanto Fund to partner with farmers in helping them positively impact their communities. This program is part of the Monsanto Fund’s overall effort to strengthen rural America.